This invention relates generally to vehicle accessories and more particularly, to an improved ram bar assembly for wheeled vehicles. This application is related to U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 946,723 filed Sept. 28, 1978 for Rotatable Ram Bar Apparatus and Carrier Adapter by John B. Schumacher, the inventor herein.
In recent years a great deal of attention has been devoted to the design of vehicle bumpers which provide greater protection for the vehicle occupants. One structure which has been widely used, particularly on light trucks and other heavy duty vehicles, is a pair of vertical bars attached to the front bumper of the vehicle. In addition to providing greater protection for the vehicle, such bars allow the use of the vehicle to push other vehicles, without the danger of damaging the vehicle bumpers or having the bumpers lock together.
The use of such ram bars have been limited to the front of most vehicles, since their presence on the rear bumper of trucks or station wagons would impede the use of rear doors or tailgates. As a result, it has not been possible to achieve the significant degree of protection provided by such ram bars at the rear end of most rear access vehicles. This is particularly significant in the case of vans, since the rear bumper does not extend a significant distance away from the rear wall of such vehicles. Any excessive impact on the rear bumper on such a van could seriously damage the rear doors, and often causes the doors to spring open creating a dangerous condition, and increasing the possibility that children riding in the rear of the vehicle could be thrown out.
In addition, vehicle mounted article carriers such as bicycle racks, which have become particularly popular, interfere with the rear access of a vehicle if mounted on the rear bumper. Removal of such a carrier in order to open rear doors or a tailgate involves a great deal of time and effort.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved ram bar assembly which may be rotated to allow access to the rear of a vehicle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved ram bar assembly which may be easily locked in the vertical position or rotated to a horizontal position.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved article carrier for vehicular mounting which may be rapidly and easily removed from the vehicle, allowing ready access to the rear openings.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.